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Disappointing ending
Story line is good up until the ending. The story takes you to solving mysteries like a Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick.The choreography of the fight scenes is fantastic.
Be prepared for disappointment though.
Character development is good.
But the endings in these dramas are too often disappointing as is with this one.
Li Lianhua is an amazing character but has a character flaw where others care about his life more than he does.
I feel robbed of 40 hours watching 40 episodes to have this nebulous ending where they built up thos story line beautifully.
The writer should be shot for writing this.
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100% would recommend - watch for the friendship and the mysteries!
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Li Xiangyi carries a heavy burden, a poison that is slowly killing him. He has managed to escape death and his glorious past life as #1 in Jianghu. He is simply tired and wants to live out his life, however long that is. He does not want to die, but knows that it is inevitable. Yet somehow, he finds himself entangled with old friends, new friends, and a series of crimes that all seem connected in some weird way. But he just wants to retire as Li Lianhua, why can’t Jianhu just let him do that! But an innate part of him draws him into his new situation because he slowly uncovers a hidden secret that is entirely against his own morals, so he decides to pitch in whatever effort he has left to make things right again.
Cheng Yi’s masterful performance of Li Xiangyi/Li Lianhua brought BOTH personas to life. They are the same person, yet both have their own distinct characteristics. Li Xiangyi is a headstrong, upright youth who will put his #1 martial art skills to use to uphold his own morals. Li Lianhua has gone through *life* and has long given up on his youth. The only thing they both share is their chivalrous spirit. Li Xiangyi/Li Lianhua is the calmest, coolest person in all of Jianghu and Cheng Yi did an amazing depiction of that. The audience is able to understand Li Lianhua as much as Cheng Yi wanted us to understand, meaning sometimes we knew what he was thinking and sometimes we had no damn idea what was on his mind. As satisfying it was to watch him calmly solve cases like a natural born detective, it was just as satisfying to watch him explode into action and his CLEAN fight moves. Just as Cheng Yi said in an interview, Li Xiangyi’s character development is very unique in that in most cases, characters develop from a lower position into a higher position, but Li Xiangyi’s development went the opposite direction. Despite that, he still learned a ton in the 10 years that he traveled Jianghu. Even though his ultimate state was nothing like what he had 10 years ago, his entire outlook on life has completely changed for the better, and I think he got the ending he felt most suitable for him.
This drama was a perfect example of having a plot that builds upon itself. Even though the entire plot was basically case solving followed by case solving, there were clues cleverly and mysteriously hidden from the beginning. This drama does a good job of keeping the audience engaged because we have to actively remember clues that appeared several episodes ago (with a million things that happened in between) in order to understand the logic behind the progress of unraveling the hidden secrets. Many times throughout the drama I found myself saying “OH YEA, that happened” as I tried to piece together the information. Of course I gotta applaud the SEVERAL major plot twists (no spoilers here) that happen, damn I did not see them coming. But it’s weird because I feel like I should have seen them coming. I felt like I was walking in Li Lianhua’s shoes when the plot twists were revealed, and maybe that was on purpose.
Lastly I wanted to talk about the supporting characters. Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng are actually very simple characters, compared to Li Lianhua. We already knew from the beginning that Fang Duobing is Li Xiangyi’s #1 fan and Di Feisheng is Li Xiangyi’s #1 (fr)enemy. Fang Duobing’s character development was more on the side of him growing to become a better detective and martial artists. His chivalrous spirit was already there from the beginning. Di Feisheng is actually kind of the opposite. He was already a top martial artists from the very beginning, and his only goal was to fight his way to become the ultimate #1 in Jianghu. His character development is actually building his chivalrous spirit and becoming someone who not only wants to win, but also wants to win for the greater good of Jianghu.
My favorite supporting character has to be Jiao Liqiao. Aside from Cheng Yi’s performance, her performance was my favorite. Her character was so simple minded, dumb, yet smart too??? She wanted one thing and one thing only, and she had solid plans for getting it.
Unfortunately as the story went on, I found that I had forgotten most of the characters that appeared at the very beginning. There were just too many to remember, and most of the important characters appeared near the middle/end. I wouldn’t call this a flaw of the drama, but I just wish they made some of the supporting characters that appeared (or died) in the beginning few cases more memorable.
Damn this is a long review. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama from beginning to end. There were no dull moments, and the whole thing was very fast paced. A perfect example of an epic Jianghu story.
Edit: note to self so I can go back to it later. This drama perfectly integrated comedic moments, mostly coming from Li Lianhua and his ability to lie with a poker face haha. My favorite funny scene had to be the one at the beginning of Ep 13 when a certain puppy found out he got left behind again...
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Cheng Yi always manages to make the audience cry with his acting skills!!!
I really love the story and the beautiful friendship between the three of them. I think no one can portray Li Lian Hua as ChengYi does. He is the best at understanding the character and always knows how to portray it. Plus we get to listen to the real cute voice of Cheng Yi. I still can’t let go of this masterpiece even though it’s already ended. 😪 (I know iQiYi doesn’t want people to give too much attention to this hit dram because they have to release other dramas too 🙄) It’s ended much much earlier than the schedule but I will definitely rewatch it again savoring the emotional crying scene of Cheng Yi. ❤️ I am looking forward to South Wind Knows My Mood too.. I hope we can get to see it this year.Was this review helpful to you?
Sometimes it's better let go of everything .
The story started with the miracle physician Li Lian Hua who's actually Li xiangyi and the disciple of Li Xiangxi , Fangduobing is really the masterpiece amongst wuxia cdramas.In the beginning , I started to watch this piece to kill the time while waiting for another ep of another wuxia cdrama but turned out to be the best of the best wuxia drama I have ever watch without skipping and feeling boring and thought why I never listened and watched this drama which released in 2023 .
The storyline, plots , ost and the brilliant actors made this drama the most wonderful that I'd never forget .
Mainly Li Lian Hua who is also li xianxi character really is irreplaceable and the actor Chengyi really carried well this character. Thank you so much ..you made Li xiangyi and Li Lian Hua into life frrr.
I must say that I never ever have cried in my life before while watching any dramas series or anything as much as watching this drama. It made me felt like I'm in that story .
The most interesting thing is, to the viewers and audience it's not only giving entertain but also giving the meaning of human life . It taught me that life is all about to let go , forgiveness , self love .
I can't imagine how this Li Xiangyi character is so heartbreaking . In real life, I couldn't be like him and I will never find like him as a person . Humans are fed to selfishness ,to hold the power like in this toxic world. I really have no words to say but mind is crushing with thoughts. Each and every words as dialougues carved in my heart like poetry and I'll never forget this legendary masterpiece drama.
Thank you so much for writer who wrote this story and the entire team production for your tirelessly hardwork. And also thank you so much , each and every spectacular amazing actors playing your characters so well which also suited you the best. Special thanks to Li Xiangyi and Fanduobing and Di fei Sheng ..you'll always in my heart .❤️😭
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The martial arts are cool. The three leads especially are SO COOL. THE MOST COOL. They are all cool the whole damn time. Fan Duobing is the youngest and least experienced, but like both the others he is literally introduced kicking ass and taking names. Li Lianhua spends 99.9% of the drama at 10% of his strength and is essentially still untouchable. If he decides a fight is worth getting serious he never fails and it is AWESOME. Die Feisheng's default setting appears to be Badass Motherfucker.the friendship is touching. The three leads especially but as you go through the series you slowly learn that there are other characters around who are deeply deeply loyal to the leads. Blind Liu is my favorite, he deserved more screen time.
The mysteries are fun. They may not make up a huge part of the series, but the process of who solves them and how gives you a lot of insight to various characters strengths, values, and methods. Plus it's really fun to watch the trio work together.
Li Xiangyi/Lianhua is the hero we don't deserve. Seriously, if someone needs saving the man saves them. If someone needs support he's right there when they need him. If he makes a promise he keeps it, even years and betrayals down the line. He talks a lot about his own flaws but he never acts on them. He cares so deeply about people and at every turn he does what he can to protect who he can.
I am in awe.
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This review may contain spoilers
ONE OF THE BEST WUXIA SHOWS EVER MADE!
I am absolutely speechless after watching this show. Though I haven't watched that many wuxia dramas, I am sure of one thing - this ought to be the best one out there!Where do I even begin? Let's start with the actors. I have never seen any of the older works of the cast except for the actor who played as Zijin - I have seen him on Boss and Me. All the cast perfectly were made for the roles. And each one's acting was off charts. Cheng Yi's acting is impeccable - no wonder he won an award for his character. I was also impressed by the actress who played Jiao Liqiao, the female villain. I watched the BTS and I was surprised - Cheng Yi was the hyperactive kid, Joseph was the chill carefree guy and Shun Yao was the emotional man.
As for the story, it was a unique one with reasonable plot twists and suspense. I loved both Xiangyi and Lianhua - I am unbiased. Xiangyi was mysterious, playful, righteous, talented and cool guy. Lianhua was mature, calm, simple, kind and warm-hearted. Both of them have my heart. I immediately fell for Fang Doubing. He is so charming. And Afei - he is the cold CEO we see in office dramas. All the three shared immense bromance with each other. Loved to see their bond.
I loved the cases, but my favorites cases would be Girl's Mansion, Tianji Mountain Manor and of course, the last one Royal Palace case. The cases were all interconnected leading to the Nanyin secrets and the director had done an excellent job for paving the story. The real birth origins of Xiangyi while the drama neared its end shocked me. Normally, I am not a fan of fight or action scenes. But, I rewatched the action scenes here because the cinematography and editing were too good to be ignored. Kudos to the martial arts coach for the amazing action scenes and the costume designer for all the outfits worn by the cast. The real birth origins of Xiangyi while the drama neared its end shocked me.
I wish I could erase my memory to watch this all over again. Anyways, I will rewatch it soon. It is worth multiple watches.
Overall: 100/10
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This review may contain spoilers
THE MOST INCREDIBLE WUXIA DRAMA I'VE EVER WATCHED
This is really good! I'm lost for words!! Usually I really skip scenes but this one, I didn't skip anything and sometimes I repeat scenes coz I want more!! (Specially the dance LXY had!! It was soooo mesmerizing ugh!!) EVERYTHING IS REALLY GOOD HERE! The actors, actings, osts, storyline, the plot and settings! It was perfect (well atleast imo hehe)If you are hesitating to start coz there's no romance, you better start it nowwwww!! You don't really need romance to make the drama incredible (imo hehe) And I love the friendship here!!! It was beautiful and tbh I want someone like xiaobao in my lifetoo coz he is a keeper!!! I wanna keep him!! TT
I LOVE IT!! THAT'S IT! AND I WANNA REWATCH IT!! ❤️❤️
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Wuxia at it´s best
Yeah, this is what a great drama looks like, it's amazing.It kind of remind me of The Untamed (that continues to be the best), but with some dragging episodes and more investigation cases.
Amazing actors, really, the main actors are everything, I like them all.
The main story is so good!!! It even has some major plot twists I wasn't expecting for.
The plots and the characters made me happy, sad, anxious, excited, such complex feelings that only a major drama can get out of you. I was fascinated by the main characters relationships, I could not stop watch and wonder what was going to happen next. The end made me sad, but it's a good end.
The OST is beautiful.
The production is consistent, very well-made.
There are two things to consider:
1. Romance it's definitely not the focus, don't watch looking for that.
2. There are some episodes that you want the main story to develop, but they spend too much time on the side stories and the drama became a little draggy.
Overall, 10 out of 10.
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This review may contain spoilers
a well written male centered drama
I was surprised knowing that the original source was never a gay romance. The drama sure know how to up their bromance lol.Personally I am not a fan of any type of romance in a drama that is heavy in friendship and brotherhood/sisterhood. But I like the bromance in this. If you see it from different perspectives, it actually fits in every one of them. Truly up to viewers' interpretation. You may see romance, or just friendship, or brotherhood, or even father-son bond between LLH-FXB (not entirely but it's there, you just have to see it from that angle).
I think even if people dislike the ending, I quite like it. I don't think Li Lianhua is still alive. He most probably have long been dead when DFS and FDB went to the beach. LLH has been lying to people thag Li Xiangyi is dead, and he lied that LXY was found dead on the beach and the body swept away by the ocean. Personally I think it foreshadowed the way he actually died. LLH chose to die that way because he wanted it.
Saving him is a bit unrealistic. He has said so many times that someone needs the cure more than him. While he was the best during his prime, his time has long passed and it's time for the new generation to surpass him. For him 30% chance is a 0 chance. If someone has 100% survival rate with the antidote, why waste it on him? He's both selfish and selfless in a sense, again depends on what way you see his action.
I personally think people forcing him to stay alive is also quite selfish of them. If LLH chose to die peacefully with his illness, why are you so adamant to make him alive? DFS did it for his long obsession of defeating him. While I get FDB just wanted him to just live and be the LLH and enjoy adventure with him, I think FDB never understood LLH in this case. He's supposed to understand LLH and all his reasoning, but he just refused to accept this one.
Overall this drama is truly one of the best Chinese drama in 2023 aside from The Blood of Youth. Do I want a season 2? Perhaps, with FDB and DFS looking for LLH, dead or alive. And them forming a bond that they didn't know they could build. It would be lovely to have it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Excellent drama with one flaw
THE STORY:I started this thinking that we'd get to see detective stories, where I could solve cases together with the heroes. The cases were, although interesting, not of that sort. They all made sense, but the audience often only got to see the clues at the time Li Lianhua or Fang Duobing revealed them to their co-characters. The cases themselves were overshadowed by the overarching plot relatively early, so for me, they did not have too much merit by themselves, and only served as a vehicle to move the story forward.
The overarching story wasn't that complicated, we got to guess the main villain quite early, and some of the plot twists weren't that twisty for me.
(Also, the main plot point -- evil people from a defeated foreign country try to overthrow the mighty and just and overall better [China] and fail -- is typical Chinese nationalist fare.)
What makes the story interesting, is the journey of Li Lianhua, both in the past, which is revealed to us in increments, and in the present -- Li Lianhua, who is terminally ill and is pulled into the Jianhu after ten years of solitude, whose journey is one of finding closure, of forgiving or avenging, of finding meaning in life and death.
A plus, for me, is also that the series has little romance -- most of it finds it conclusion within three episodes or so around episode 20 (they decide their romance will stay in the past only). Unfortunately, most female characters' motivation still circles around love, more on that see below.
The story unfolds over 36 episodes, which never drag or feel rushed. The series kept my interest throughout -- the pacing was always just right.
THE CHARACTERS:
Li Lianhua is a wonderfully human character. He is flawed, he lies, he deceives but still seems to be a person who has his values he lives by. He is a miracle doctor and a horrible cook. He is someone who pushes others away, and it's never quite clear if it's to protect the other person or himself. He is selfish in his last decision, and at the same time sacrifices his life (essence) for others over and over again. Li Lianhua is world-weary but can still find solace in the little joys in life and seems to believe that most people are ultimately good.
Li Xiangyi was young and inexperienced. He trusted wholeheartedly -- but also judged hard. He thought he was the most important person in the sect -- and died because of it.
I also loved the other two main characters -- loved their banter, of course. They both had their distinct personalities and unique goals. Fang Doubing and Di Feisheng had good character development -- more time to show their personalities and their inner life would have been even better.
The one thing that irked me for the most part of the series was the portrayal of the female characters. Their motivations mainly circled around "love" (or a version thereof), and usually, they had no agency without a man. Let's look at the four most prominent women:
Jiao Li Qiao: Her motivation for anything is to get Di Feisheng as her husband. That's it.
Qiao Wan Mian: She is important as the past love interest of Li Xiangyi, who waited for ten years for him. Later, she gets a bit more agency, but it remains half-hearted. Has she left Zijin or not? Why does she take his Sect leader token but does not take on the role herself? (He is obviously still the sect leader later.)
Master He (Fang doubig's mother): She's the only woman without an interest in pursuing another man; the only one who is shown with significant skills who can contribute to the fight. She is also the only married woman, and the only middle-aged woman, so it's probably just that she's "too old" to be a potential love interest who can be heroically disregarded.
The princess: Her interest in marrying Fang Doubing is somewhat understandable -- as a princess she lives a highly regulated life, and probably knows that the only chance to get a bit of freedom is as a married woman. (Of course, her interest has to take a backseat next to her fiancé's desires.)
There's also the young girl who we first meet when she disguises herself as a man -- she could have easily been a cunning woman with a network of informants or a vast library. But no! She always gets her information from her grandfather and she is allowed to bring Li Lianhua to her brother for treatment.
That's enough of a rant for this review. Let's close with another excellent aspect:
THE ACTING:
I did not find one actor unsatisfying. The minor characters were all right throughout.
All three main characters were portrayed incredibly well. Especially Chen Yi (Li Lianhua) who needed to show his multi-layered personality without words had excellent micro-expressions. Di Feisheng is probably more interesting than the script itself has provided because Xiao Xun Yao manages to hint for underlying emotions of his character from the first second we get to see him on screen.
And a special mention has to go to Rain Wang (Jiao Li Qiao), who, despite her single-trait character, shows how chillingly deranged Jiao Li Qiao has become over the course of the series.
OVERALL:
This is, despite the one flaw, a series that tells a story about friendship, betrayal and revenge -- and a man who just wants to have a quiet death.
Recommended!
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Magnificent!!!
This is absolute gem,everybody need to watch it to be frank.From the story to the cast, everything was just superb.
The story is so fun and engaging, there's no dull moment, everything is mixed together. The only problem is not to get addicted 😇.
The cast delivered beautifully, it's not like those dramas you'll complain you don't like the FL or ML,or those unnecessary misunderstandings, the leads are quite a joy to watch.
There's no need to hesitate,just go on and watch it,you won't be disappointed.
Personally,this is in my top ten wuxia dramas.
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