Dashing Youth

Quite curious about this one. And now I've finished watch this, let's talk drama...

Story about Baili Dong Jun (DJ), the young master of the Marquis of Zhenxi's mansion . Despite of his status, he's one happy go lucky man that never care about join the 'family business'. His goal is to be the best wine brewer, because he like to drink & later we find out he also already made a promise with his friend Ye Yun (YY) to become Liquor Deity.

At first, DJ also not really care about martial art. But however, fate had other plan for him. His journey in martial art begin with DJ snatch the important sword & also the death of his master. DJ's master death, make him go to school of Li Chang Sheng, the top master in the world, and beginning to learn martial arts. Along the journey DJ find out he's born with special nature for practice martial art & there's a clan that already had an eye for him to practice their teachings.

Short story, in the martial art world, DJ find many friends & companion. He's also find his old friend YY, whose the world think was dead. And of course DJ also excel in his martial art & made quite a name for himself. But of course trouble also comes knocking the door. The more DJ excel in his martial art, the problem comes not only from martial art world, but also from politic that involve the emperor & other kingdom.

So how will they journey be in motion...

That's pretty much the story. Now what I like and don't.

What I like:
+ The interesting people. Start from DJ himself, to his teacher until YY.
+ The hidden BL. Oh come on don't lie to ourself this is not hidden BL. DJ's relationship with YY is more than friends in heart. Although they kinda cover it with the existence of the woman in their life.
+ No real bad guy. It's all about obsession in the end.

What I don't like:
- A little too much CGI nonsense of the martial arts moves.
- DJ is too pure for a man. Until feel so stupid, he never make his relationship with Yue Yao official for that many year.
- Times feel so damn slow. The most can be felt when YY child start to show up. That child seem not grow up. I know maybe they try to cut corner in hiring guess child actor. But that child from age 3 to age 5 doesn't change at all, is a little bit too much...

Overall this quite good martial art drama this year.

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Adventures. friendship, love, magic, betrayal, bad guys and swordplay , beautifully done.

I am rewatching Dashing Youth now. It is truly an adventure. Some of the scenes, like the liquor contest are outstanding and unforgettable. Hou Minghau is the perfect teenage brew master, sure of himself and well raised to be kind and loyal. He ventures out to be famous and discovers his multiple talents along the way. It is very inspiring and like real life in that aspect, because as we enter the adult world, our inner world expands greatly, exposing traits we never dreamed. Minghau's childhood friend's story is the lesson of obsessions which plague some of us throughout life, especially in romance, and lead to lifelong scarring. Thankfully, most survive wiser. Some don't.
In rewatching, I'm able to catch little things I missed the first time, and re-experience the adventures.

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topped the list

I loved the drama! to be honest I liked it more than I liked blood of youth. this drama had a strikingly fine balance of everything and the fight scenes..the special effects..the colours.!!! also what an ensemble....the cast was great too! a good plot with entertaining characters. Despite knowing the bittersweet ending that awaited me , I blew through the 40 episodes. They indeed had a 'dashing youth' and as viewer you would wish same as their master for these disciples to lead carefree, happy lives in martial world. unfortunately, much like previous generation they too can't break away from clutches of noble cities and wicked royal family (roufeng is the exception and not the norm ). baili donjun was a great protagonist, and ye dingzi was a sweet soul who deserved better. two platonic soulmates.

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It's worth it , Give it a try

watched 25 eр

now it is going in to my favourite list loving it so far now going to rewatch blood of youth

captivates with its ensemble of strikingly handsome young men, each bringing both charm and depth to their roles.

The dialogue is sharp and engaging, with a natural flow that enhances the realism of the interactions. The attention to detail in set design and costume further immerses into the world of the show, adding layers of visual interest that complement the narrative.

captivating drama that offers a blend of emotional depth, realistic portrayals, and compelling storytelling.

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Better Than Expected.

Dashing Youth is a prequel of The Blood of Youth, which I personally became interested before. Some might say that it's better if you watch this first before TBOY, I agree, it's literally the start of everything. But also, I understand those whose glad that they watched TBOY first before this one, it's like a throwback in everything that happened in TBOY and an answer in why things that happened in TBOY, happened. But in my case, luckily, I haven't finished watching TBOY when I discovered Dashing Youth, because for me, it's better to start from where all things have happened.Sadly, I already knew that Ye Dingzhi died because it was already told in TBOY, that's entering this series was a bit of a road for me knowing that I will truly root for his character. 

With the casting being one of the most beautiful line of actors is a plus points for me. I love how the Eight Young Masters of Beili have their own distinct classifications and power that make them unique from each other. I love Xiao Ruofeng so much, his vibe at first was a bit off for me, but once this man smiled, I knew he is a good man, like what the people around him always tell him, he's too kind and nice. Neo Hou is very good at playing as Baili Dongjun, from the first time I watched him, he definitely improved in his acting. But I want to give my full applause to He Yu, he gave Ye Dingzhi justice. I root for his character, even though I question his decisions sometimes. I just hope that Xia Zhiguang's Sikong Changfeng was given more screen time, but overall, he's character was engaging and his chemistry with Baili Dongjun is amazing.  The overall set up of this serie are good, CGI is always on-point. But I kinda hate some aspects about the obvious green/blue screen. Like I know they can make it better when it comes to the editing. Also, its a bit disappointing because I feel like all the fight scenes of this show mostly relies on CGI, like we don't get to see more of the moves of our characters. But overall, it worked so good one on that part. 

But here's one thing that was a huge let down of this series; the love line, the romance. To be honest, I am really not a huge fan of romance inclined series, especially when it comes to hanfu/wuxia dramas like this that focuses on roaming around martial arts world. Some series made it work, like there is a hint of romance, yet it doesn't overpower the real purpose of the show. But this one is not the case. The romance made it all worst, especially in Ye Dingzhi's case. Come to think of it, you're one of the strongest the martial arts world can have, but your life will be a wasted because of a lady who doesn't even know how to fight for herself. Imagine, everything was because of you? It honestly pisses the hell out of me. I moved or skipped a lot of times because of how some ladies in this show doesn't make any sense, at all. Only Lei Mengsha's wife and Baili Dongjun's lover have, somehow, a purpose here as a lady of a man. The rest, just ruined it, for me. 

The ending. The ending is perfect for me, esp when you haven't watched TBOY, it's a good opening for everything. Some may say that it's an open ending but for me, it's perfect. Even though I am sad about Ye Dingzhi's death, his death represents a lot of aspects. 

Overall, this series is good. Not the best but definitely not the worst. Still lacks in a lot of aspects, and as someone who watched a lot of hanfu/wuxia drama, this is a mediocre one. A good watch, still.

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Beyond hope...

honestly in the beginning when i was around ep 20 i wanted to title my review are 'TALE OF FRIENDSHIP AND YOUTH' ...
then i wanted to change it to "A NARUTO TO EVERY HOPELESS AND LOST SASUKE" .. but in the end i chose the one i have written 👆☝️ .. why ? even though the hypocrisy shown in this story was ironically real but why they wasted viewers time with heavy moral poetic dialogue commentary ...
anyways lets dive deep into the whole thing:

things about the drama that were good :

1) Immensely talented cast : a long list of names and almost all good looking faces .. for a fact that they introduced on an average 3-4 new characters in every new episode made it difficult to keep a track of their names. but as far as the core cast is consider .. every actor is talented and good pick for their role, all of the delivered a REFINED performance.

2) breath taking VFX and cinematography : i was actually following this shows BTS on Hou MingHau's and other actors weibo account at the time of its shooting , there were videos of them performing action sequences using wires/ropes in front of the green screens .. now while watching the finished result .. i was shocked to see how realistic everything looked .. from dragon avatars to peach blossom petal dance ... everything was so clean and life like. funtastic editing .. camera placements and movements.

3) stunning outfits and impeccable styling : though the attire themed ancient but the detailing with embroidery and accessory gave them timeless look.

4) captivating background music : the OSt was the best .. there was a beautiful soft romantic song by Hou MH himself .overall the music of this drama was impressive.

5) friendship was the main theme while romance added depth to it.

6) chemistry between the leads was unique then the regular ones .. it wasnt passionate or born out of chaos , but peaceful and calmly understanding between the partners.

now lets talk about main character:

1) Baili dongjun: carefree (not careless) boy from family of duke/nobles wanted to become liquor expert (deity) but in his path of doing so he gets tangled in some affairs and end up becoming martial artist instead. this type of characters are liked by us all ... he is kind .. funny ..down to earth .. loyal friend .. loyal lover ... there for you whenever you need him kind of person. his character matures as the series flows to the climax he becomes more serious and responsible person keeping his principles,kindness and morals intact. Hou minghao did great justice to this role and why not ? his actually aura dissipates all these qualities.❤️❤️❤️❤️

2) yue yao: at first i found this character extremely boring but as she joins the academy entrance test she changes into a fun character ... and as her relationship with the ML depends we see her becoming more charming ..graceful .. and what can i say i slowly fall in love with her .. ~ in the last episode when she said she will support BDJ's decision of following yun Ye irrespective of the consequences ..oh my god !! chef's kiss .. thats how FL should be fearless and daring to take a stand with ML. the actress playing the role is cute .. her acting was also good❤️

3) Yun ye: the most unfortunate hero (another sasuke) .. THOUGH SASUKE NEVER GAVE TWO FUCKS ABOUT SAKURA ..but anyways ... this character teaches us the following lesson :
A) dont skip your exam for a woman specially when she is a prince's keep.
B) dont invite the prince consort inside your hut even if she comes to your door ..and definitely dont create babies with her.
C) dont start a war with the country when your own woman doesnt listen and leaves to her ex husband place behind your back.
D) definitely dont start a war for heartless woman who will go back to her another option after your death.

4) prince roufeng : this man was moving pile of horseshit ..viewers might have mixed opinion about this character but as for me i hated him to core ... there is this one thing to summarize " evil done for good cause is good ..but good done for evil cause is bigger EVIL" he was the main villain in my opinion cause he claimed to save the people's good while he cant even save a mere woman from his rapist brother ... the so called war that he thought he can ignore still fought a lot of blood was shed ..why because this human trash thought he is living buddha and whatever the hell he suggests is best for the humankind .. my ass .. the actor playing it did great job he delivered the hypocrisy realistically.

5) master li : all i feel for this character was 'respect' .. i actually thought i am one of his disciples❤️ ..both actor for the role were amazing

6) prince/king roujin : third class pathetic .. weak villain with cheap character ...and miraculously he was saved and the poor hero was killed ..

i dont like such third class stories which start like some Buddha manuscripts and end into somethings something more disgusting than a bangladeshi porn ... with all those musical poetic cringe worthy dialogue on righteousness and whatnot we get this crap- climax ... HUH! THANK YOU! NEXT ...

REWATCHING VALUE IS MINUS 10 (there were no star for that)

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Overall pretty good show. Had good enjoyable experience . I would definitely recommend watching this

I would say after watching the entire show that this drama really made sense to me.
Every character had their own story and struggle and instead of clear demonstrating them black or white (pure good or pure evil) this really showed them Grey
Good had their share of bad and bad had their share of good qualities which was the key point I personally really enjoyed.
No one was solely"Hero" or "Villian" every one was "Character"

Long story short 😅
I really enjoyed the show it was fun watching it.
I would definitely recommend
U SHOULD DEFINITELY WATCH THIS.

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It’s like a teen movie, just set in ancient costumes.

In this world, there are no sports or cheerleading teams; instead, martial arts sects serve as the sports teams, which is quite fun. There’s a sweet, youthful romance building in the background, and both the male and female leads are beautiful and lovely. It’s a bit of a shame that there are so many characters it gets a little dizzying. After looking into and trying all three series in the same universe, I found that Dashing Youth is the most enjoyable. The overall tone is bright, and the storytelling is well-paced.

Spoiler alert!
The storytelling isn't very concise. Given the 40-episode length, they could have covered much more content, especially since there are still many unresolved plotlines—such as the story of Baili Dongjun and Yue Yao, who ultimately didn't end up getting married. I guess they didn't know how to wrap everything up, so they just ended it like this for now.

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Charming Youngster

Honestly, you guys, I already watched "The Blood of Youth" before I watched "Dashing Youth," so I already know what happens to half of the parents, but it was still heartbreaking to fall in love with Ye Ding because you already know what happens to him and Wen Jun. It was very sad. I hate Ruo Jin for raping Wen Jun, and I was super surprised that she didn't tell anyone. It was heartbreaking, but Ye Ding still loved her even though she had the baby, which is true love. Honestly, I couldn't look at the emperor the whole time I was watching "The Blood of Youth." He could have had all these other women, but he was obsessed with her, and her family wasn't even on her side. I felt bad for both of them. When I saw him die, I was crying my eyes out even though I knew the ending. But I also loved the friendship and the martial arts. I love shows with martial arts and romance, which had everything I wanted, so I would definitely recommend you guys watch this.

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Act from your heart

I want to preface by saying that I came to this drama without any knowledge of the novels or the sequel, TBOY. This drama illustrates the main message of acting from/following your heart, and we see that through BLDJ's journey. Here is a summary of my thoughts.

The highlights:
- Amazing CGI effects (this must've been a high budget series), great aesthetics, and enough eye candies to keep you distracted
- The OSTs are probably one of my favourite things about this series, I've literally had them on repeat (nice to know that one was a solo track by Neo Hou and another by 5 of the main cast)
- The bromance and friendship between BLDJ and YDZ was just so touching and the anchor of the show. It was beautiful because their bond never faded even with time and distance. BLDJ was the one person who trusted and believed in YDZ until the very end (even when YDZ's love of his life, YWJ, didn't have enough faith in him and their relationship). It was tragic because you always think of what could've been if YDZ never lost his family and the two friends could grow up together
- The bromance between BLDJ and all of his seniors and SKCF was also great - their quirks and antics kept me going. I wish they fleshed out some of the characters more and their background story. I would totally enjoy side stories for each of them. I didn't have a hard time remembering all of them (there were SO many characters in this series) because they all had their own unique traits.
- I think everyone can agree that BLDJ's shifu NGCS is a fan favourite for a good reason - loved him. I can see the actor getting many love calls after this series
- The last 10 eps with the more engaging events of political strife and buildup

The lows
- As good as the CGI effects were, they were also overkill. Considering that this is supposed to be a wuxia series where the everyone is constantly emphasizing their passion for martial arts in almost every episode, the action scenes fell flat. There were barely any scenes with actual martial arts choreography. It was 95% talk and most scenes would end before they could even begin. The way they would name their moves was very cheesy at times.
- The timelines and convoluted series of events
- The romance. I didn't feel any sparks for the main couples - even between BLDJ and YY (who had more scenes together compared to YDZ and YWJ) felt lukewarm. They could've done without the romance or even glossed over it since there was a lack of foundation and proper development (especially between YDZ and YWJ).
- The female leads. I like YY's character and the actress conveyed her elegance very well, but I question the importance of her role. White YWJ was a plot device/catalyst of the main events, YY was diminished to just being BLDJ's companion for majority of the series

Overall, the drama would have done better if they had fleshed out some of the main characters, relationships and main events more. If you don't focus too much on the details, you can still enjoy the series.

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