This review may contain spoilers
YOUR SIGN TO IGNORE THE COMMENTS AND WATCH THIS!
I'm writing this review because I'm incensed by the hate I've seen on this drama here, and I fear it may lead some to bypass this fantastic watch.Some of the major discontent comes from..."What genheral, what legend? it was more like the romance of the female general..."
First of all, very sexist that a girl can't get it while toppling heads, severing limbs and shit...
Second, In my understanding, the legend existed, even before the drama started, right from the first episode. The general, He Refui, was already acclaimed and renowned. We got to watch her hard work and determination since she started out. Got to see her succeed and exceed in her family's expectations. We saw her journey in the Academy and the recognition that led her to get the twin sword. Saying that she wasn't really a general is just hate speech.
The drama focuses on her journey to reclaiming and owning her title, AS A FEMALE... it is the whole point of the drama, as the TITLE suggests. She went back from the start, worked harder, proved herself again, and again, and in the process, fell in love.
The legend of the female general doesn't show much of battles and wars, and all the gory details that come with the rank, at least not that much. But they show the rise, fall and rise again of a fierce,h ardworking girl. that she got a man in the end, doesn't negate all her prowess!!!!!!!!!!!
He Yan worked so hard; she gained recognition and respect from her peers, even after they found out she was female. Her reclaiming her legendary title is just icing on the cake.
That being said, yes, please watch the drama; it is a perfect blend of all the emotions you'd want to experience from a historical war drama. The love triangle doesn't want to make you pull out your nails, and the FL isn't nauseatingly dumb with a nasally child-like voice. The ML isn't some damaged psycho who gets a rushed redemption. I think the hype and wait were worth it.
Think Mulan, without the snarky, sassy dragon side-kick....
I waited till it finished airing, and watched it in one sitting while doing my hair, I'd watch it again.
P.S
Dudu can get it...
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Mulan Fell In Love
Yes, this is nearly Mulan turned into series. Excellent fight scenes. FL nailed the swordsmanship, archery, martial arts...you name it...highly qualified to be a General as the title suggests. Storyplot was good not until the final three episodes which deemed to be unnecessary. I'm not a fan of both leads. Chemistry was there but it felt bland.I am one of the viewers who watch this for the romance. Unfortunately, that point really failed for me. It was a total slow burn.
Like the MC became official with their relationship around ep.28 I think. Given the drama has 36eps. Why not make them an official couple at least halfway of the drama? Another thing are the poorly executed kisses and very minimal I must say.
Also the stir caused by Chu Zao towards the finale is obviously just a filler to extend the drama. MC should have been married earlier, I guess around ep. 32, at least have kids and ended the drama.
The only thing that held me stick to the drama till the end are the scenes between ML and SML. Their battle to win the FL gave at least a hilarious flare to the drama.
I have to commend one actor here whom I think stand out in terms of acting, and that is Bai Shu aka He Ru Fei. The scene in the prison cell showned his acting prowess.
Overall, I enjoy watching Wuxia dramas but the balance between fight scenes and romance should be at equal pace, or else, it'll be a total drag for me. For this drama, it focused on the skills of the FL as a Lady General which I must say was well executed.
Given said that, if you're into lots of fight scenes and royal politics, this drama is for you. I wouldn't recommend this for romance enthusiasts like me. The ending is just so so...not satisfying as well.
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Most memorable quotes of all shows I’ve watched 🌙
我喜欢月亮，月亮不知道。
I love the moon, but the moon doesn’t know
现在，月亮是你的了。
Now, the moon is yours
🥹
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This review may contain spoilers
Best drama of 2025
After a cdrama slump for a year i stumbled upon this drama on Viki. Usually i get bored during thefirst 10 minutes but this drama is the only one in years where i didnt have to fast forward anything at all for all 30 episodes. I especially love the feminist themes throughout the drama and the underlying message that you dont need no man to save you. I find it refreshing in this drama that the FL saves the ML many times throughout instead of the usual damsel in distress dramas.The pacing is great except for the last few episodes where i did ffwd. The ost is wonderful.
Now i have to say i was truly mesmorized by Xiao Jue and its because of the wonderful acting performed by an actor I have not seen before Cheng Lei!!! Omg this actor had me hooked in episode 1 the moment he appeared on screen. He just played Xiao Jues character to the T. His micro expressions are just wow. Because his character starts of as a very cold intimidating general he does this perfectly but also we get to see the cracks im his demeanour as he falls in love with He Yan, the fl and it was just so nice to watch. I definitely was gigling throughout those scenes of him trying to suppress his jealousy lol.
I also really liked zhou ye. Shes such a loveable actress and really played her role quite well. She had amazing chemistry with cheng lei.
The side characters were great as well. My favourite would be the training at the army.
Overall best drama of the year. I will miss my power couple so much.
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good one time watch drama
i want to keep this simple...firstly about plot it was taking of well with all the self improvement , revenge, ladder climbing of FL .
secondly i want to comment on ML and FL interactions , there romance , evrything was good the exprssions were 10/10 .
facecards were soo good both main ML and FL and also second ML and FL . there friends and comrades are also was an eye feast .
one thing that gets frustating was THE SO CALLED KING . some uncessary shit was there with him. soo easy to controll.
i also thought there frnd YAN HE was got killed uneccasary , okay might be having only this way to punish that sooo called second lead but cruel cunning guy CHU , but i felt sad there .
lastly... A GOOD FEMALE ORIENTED DRAMA .. WORTH THE WATCH , LOVED IT .
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She's a tactical genius, She's a woman in love
TL;DR--Watch it for romance, chemistry, fun times and little emotional investment in politics/bloodshed
1. Plot
I have not read the novel so this was a blank slate, so to speak. In that aspect, this was pretty good. Most of it made complete sense, had logical flows and were digestible in there outlandishness.
I liked that the story was hers mostly. The ML had his own story and struggles, yes, but in the end, it was she who was most highlighted by the plot--and by the ML too! This was in-line with the drama title so I appreciate that.
2. Characterization
Huaijing has always been quiet and reserved, the tragedy at Mingshui only made it worse with bitterness in the mix. In that lens, all his actions and reactions make complete sense. And then, when the air is cleared and we see their history, his emotions and feelings make sense too.
Yan was not explored well emotionally. She had a very unique upbringing, trauma after trauma. We don't get much in terms of her coming to terms with her lot in life emotionally. It could partially be because of the actor (no hate to her but she doesn't do complex emotional depth well), it could be on the editing (perhaps the episodes were cut so it was edited out) or it could be a directorial choice.
It wasn't too bad, as you can see from my rating, but it could have been better with that.
Chu Zhao, what can I say. I hated him from his first moment on the screen and I wished him all things bad. His ending was a mercy and in my world, he lives a horrible life and dies a horrible death <3
The King, probably the stupidest one there ever has been. No wonder Wutou keeps invading, the Wei King makes it too easy. The King has never seen a selfish minister he didn't listen to, never heard harmful advice he didn't immediately implement. Xu was almost, almost, right in that last shenanigan of his.
3. The Ending
This ending was interesting. It wasn't a failure, definitely. It did fall into the trap of 'must-kill-someone-for-the-genre' and I think it did so terribly--just like Yan's emotional depth they chose to take the easy way out and kill the easiest to kill. But, we live in delululand, so I don't care much about that.
Other than that, 10/10 ending.
4. Chemistry
Whew. Guys, such chemistry. If you are here for romance, definitely watch this. If you want little and easy to watch political intrigue with heavy focus on building the main relationship, watch this. If you want to watch a second lead being put in his place, repeatedly explicitly and thoroughly? WATCH THIS. Some of the best developed lead couple relationship, in fact the main selling point of this drama is the two general's love triumphing all.
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Not Perfect, But Worth the Watch!
This drama has been one of the most anticipated ones in recent years, and the hype was honestly huge. I’ve seen a lot of people disappointed, but let me share my take.First off, I didn’t read the novel, so everything I say is purely based on the drama. For me, the plot itself is solid. The thing is, this show already went through so many issues before it even aired. One of the supporting actors got into a scandal, was removed, and even imprisoned—so his character ended up being replaced by AI. On top of that, because the original story had a “rebirth” element (which isn’t allowed in China), the drama was supposed to have 40 episodes but was cut down to 36. That actor’s role was actually important to the leads, so losing his scenes definitely affected the overall flow.
Another point a lot of fans keep bringing up is the female lead’s appearance. People complain she looks “too feminine” to convincingly pass as a man. But honestly, this is a drama—suspension of disbelief is part of the deal. Acting and story matter more to me than just physical appearance. And compared to other dramas I’ve seen, the casting here isn’t bad at all. They didn’t go out of their way to make her look overly girly—it’s just that her features are naturally delicate.
Now about the story. I’ll admit, it does get messy at times. The title “Legend of the Female General” doesn’t exactly fit, because while He Yan’s journey to reclaim her status is central, the plot also scatters into other directions. It sometimes feels more like “two generals facing off” than her personal legend. Honestly, with how much story there is, they should’ve extended it to 50+ episodes. There are so many questions left unanswered that probably only the novel explains.
But on the positive side, I actually enjoyed it. The leads are smart, and the villains never really outplay them, which was refreshing. Both the ML and FL are equally strong, whether in strategy or in fighting.
Acting-wise, Cheng Lei—I’ve only seen him in “Journey to You,” and he feels almost the same here. Personally, I find him a bit stiff, but maybe that’s just the character. Zhou Ye, though, really delivered. Despite criticisms that she’s too petite for the role, I think she carried it well.
The fight scenes are hands down one of the best parts—very well done. The music was also on point.
Overall, this drama isn’t as bad as some make it sound. I understand where the criticisms are coming from, but for me, it’s still worth checking out.
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Couldn't ignore the flaws.
The beginning of the plot is solid .. Story is not dragged at any point .. events and people keep coming serving their purpose and leaving, nothing is stretched over the threshold. Yet with all its good I can't help but complain about the insufficient efforts they given to write a good ending. Substance in the story pretty much ends with ep 32 after that is pure BS (skippable).People here are complaining about logic loss in the entire story ..okay i understand a man taking over a woman place everything from height to physique is changed and no one is bothered seemed too illogical but that's how fiction works you have to let go of certain amount of logic to enjoy such plots .. If it were the part of a single event from whole context, I might say it's illogical but the sister brother swapping was the very core of the structure itself you have to take it as it is ..so spare the logic dont use it where it is not asked.
Moving forward to casting, leads were good ..I love zhou ye she brings life to anything she plays, her charm ... her spontaneity.. cheerfulness ... Is second to none in the chinese industry and I loved the fact she carefully chooses her projects. She did amazing job with he yan, she adopted her rough and rugged aura beautifully and acted her character with brilliance. Now the ML ..well I am a strong critic of Ryan cheng .. for some reason I am not yet convinced with his acting talent .. his expressions are just too restricted, rigid, monotonous and cemented. No doubt he is very handsome but he can't even flash a proper worrying expression for his beloved lying seriously wounded in his lap ... Below average to say the least {I am sure some people will come for my a** in comment section after reading this} kang le was good... He Clearly has looks and talent to lead big banner projects. About the rest of the cast no one caught my attention.
Asthetics of the sets to apparel were just so so .. passable for period drama but then military based drama is not about fancy outfits but about Nice action which was there in good amount. Though the movements in some fight sequence seemed too unnecessary...too extra ... like a couple dance holding swords instead of a proper fight (for instance the way they fought wutuo leader in last episode.) seriously who asked for this salsa x tango performance, it was so cringe.
There were five songs but only ' long cherished wish ' catered my taste.
Overall a good drama for one time watching definetely.. for re-watch you can just watch only the good parts sure there were lot of take aways.
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They debut as my 4th fave CDramaLand CP
You can tell that so much was edited and cut out but I am giving them a pass because the lead’s chemistry and communication blew me away and those fight scenes especially the last fight. I will be rewatching this a lotMy top CDramaland CPs in order:
1). Zhou Fang and Song Lin (Love Designer)
2). Smiling and Chessman (Falling into your smile)
3). Bai FengXi and Hei FengXi (Who Rules the world)
4). He Yan and Xiao Jue (Legend of the Female General)
5). Lou Na and Duan YuCheng (Falling into you)
6). Mu WanQing and Commander Tan (Fall in love)
7). MingLan and Gu Tingye (Story of MingLan)
8). Jing Jing and Yu tu (You are my Glory)
9) Wen Yifan and Sang Yan (First Frost)
10). Cong Rong and Wen ShaoQing (My little Happiness)
11). He Ran and Xiao Han (The forbidden flower)
12). Jiang Jun and Yuan Shuai (Love is sweet)
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Strong FL drama with great chemistry
He Yan is such a strong and smart heroine and I loved watching her fight for her destiny.Zhou Ye is really charming and fun in the role, even if she’s a bit girly sometimes, she still makes He Yan likeable and relatable.
Ryan Cheng as Xiao Jue has this calm, smart vibe that balances her energy really well and I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow naturally without all the forced romance you sometimes get in these dramas.
The visuals are amazing too, the costumes, real locations and battle scenes all make the world feel alive.
Of course, it’s not perfect. Zhou Ye doesn’t always fully convince as a cross-dressing general, sometimes her playful, girly expressions make it hard to take her seriously in tough battle scenes.
Ryan Cheng is cute and charismatic but he doesn’t always have that commanding general presence,and their chemistry can feel a bit flat at times.
Some parts of the plot are a little too convenient like He Yan surviving extreme situations without much real danger and a few story shifts feel rushed or illogical.
Fans of the original novel might also be disappointed with how much was changed especially where romance was emphasized more than He Yan’s revenge story. But honestly, despite these flaws, the drama is still really fun and a bit of romance sprinkled in.
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Awesome Fight Scenes
I really enjoyed this one. It had a really awesome strong female lead, a stoic yet tender at moment ML, and an interesting plot that kept me coming back for more. The cinematics were great, often beautiful, and the fight scenes were really cool. I loved all the spear work, archery, and sword bending action. The villains were pretty good at being flawed, and the FL took them to task with cunning, strength and lots of strategy. Definitely a binge-worthy show.LKB
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THE LEGEND OF THE FEMALE GENERAL is my favorite drama of 2025
I loved it so much I rewatched it. The FL, Zhou Ye, is one of my most favorite Chinese actress and her bubbly character that she often brings to her dramas is what attracts me the most. This is the first time I've seen the ML, Cheng Lei, and I instantly fell in love with him. The couple's chemistry was off the chart. Viki has rated this drama 9.7/10. Highly recommend this drama.💜Was this review helpful to you?
