Blood River

There is a solid story here.

This will be long!! This is a scatterbrained attempt at a review but I really wanted to write one so here we are.

When it first aired, there seemed to be an influx of negative comments highlighting how bad many things were. But I’d decided to watch it over a year ago when I heard that there would be a show in an assassin organization so I stopped checking comments and decided to watch for myself and that is the best decision I think anyone can make with a show they really want to watch.

I watched BR almost like a brand new drama with no expectations because I remember almost nothing from TBOY though I've watched it. Infact, I honestly don’t even remember SCH and SMY from TBOY. Until I checked and saw them on a clip on youtube, I honestly had no idea who they were or what they did there.

What I really loved was the story...
I like that we get right into it from the beginning. The Patriarch is hurt and the patriarchy is seemingly up for grabs within an assassin organization made up of three families with very little trust between them and a thirst for power. Its a rush to heal him or kill him and it looks like a free for all but there's a schemer with a whole other plan controlling some aspects of the plot. That's the kind of power play stuff I like and SCH did well with it.
I was never confused with the numerous characters at the beginning as they were color coded by family and there is no need to remember a large cast within the first three episodes, there was always going to be a weeding and cool down process with a story like that so I just tried to know what family each person was from and that was enough before everything settled.
I like SMY and SCH's introduction, you immediately understand that they are on opposing sides but they are also dear to each other.
I liked how every arc was an organic offshoot of the last one. No new arch felt misplaced like"where did this come from and why". I perfectly understood why each arc had to happen and also the hardships that were part of their goal.
I really liked when BHH asked SMY when they would get to the other shore, it felt like she was asking for us the viewers because I'd also wondered when they would reach the other shore and what it would even mean to do so. But show made sure that we were clear on what reaching the other shore actually meant, it wasn't just a new place physically but a new way of living for every member.
This brings me to the end, I really like that it wasn't a perfect end yet it wasn't a failure by any means. What they were seeking might take a generation to achieve but that doesn't mean they should stop and we can see that they were clearly willing to bet their lives on it and would not stop even with the disappointments they faced.

What I liked
- SCH, He was maybe the first character that really piqued the curiosity from the time he showed up. I liked his first interaction with SMY. The way his voice said ‘only you think anhe is your home’ stood out to me for the delivery and also because it immediately showed how their different mindsets at that point. Plus the voice acting as well as the physical acting was so lovely. And I liked that his character was smart, strong and wary.
His character was one I always loved to see on my screen and he gave off that -teetering on the edge- vibe sometimes. Plus some of his outfits were my favorite especially the one in ep 10, that red and black was delicious and his eyes always looked birdlike to me.
- The brotherhood between SMY and SCH. It really was one of the draws of this show and I think it was well done. It really conveyed the feeling of “I-trust-you-even-when-I-don’t-know-what-you’re-doing-but-I'll-still-trust-you-because-I-KNOW-you.”
It was so well done that you begin to understand that they know each other on a whole other level and respect and love each other regardless. I like that SMY knows how ambitious, greedy, conniving and cunning SCH can be and still chooses to protect him and even help temper him. And I like that SCH knows how honorable, righteous and rigid SMY can be but still chooses to be close to him, infact doesn't see any other options than being so.
We are so clear on their relationship that we have an idea of what one would say or think towards the others action even when it’s not shown and that’s really the best type of friendship. It didn’t give shippy vibes but one of genuine respect and loyalty to each other.
- BHH, so I already said I didn’t really like TBOY and one aspect of that was the cute-voiced female who I just never grew to like. I was afraid that BHH would be like that but I can reasonably say thatI don't think this drama would be the same without her. Romance or not, she’s not just a pining damsel in distress and she was competent and independent enough for me to respect her. Plus I liked her teasing vibe with SCH.
- The plot and writing was really good. The story of a power tussle within an assassin organization is already an interesting premise and I think they do a good job of conveying it from the first episode with the betrayals, plans and schemes. I loved all the scheming at the beginning and could have watched it for another 10episodes. I was initially afraid that it wouldn’t be as interesting when the first arc was done but it was shockingly still good. I found the bumps they hit realistic and they way they moved to the next arcs felt organic and the ending made sense to me.

What I didn’t like
- I sadly never really liked the ML. I read from comments that he was actually conveying the character accurately based on the source material but I found him quite stiff, and sometimes he just looked almost uncomfortable or something. I didn’t hate him, infact I grew to accept him but never really liked the way the actor played him.
- The last 5 episodes were a bit draggy and ultimately made me lower my scores.
- MYM and TLY were two I could have completely done without. I didn’t enjoy their story at all or the way it was acted by both and ended up fast forwarding their scenes a lot.
- I wish the zodiacs were used better and actually powerful or something.
- My worst con are the action scenes. This is not a new complaint for me but the action scenes can be so confusing to watch. So much twirling, tumbling and posing all over the place with a nice helping of not-great cgi. I really hope they improve this aspect of their magical shows.

The music didn't stand out to me so I guess that is both good and not good as it means it wasn't annoying but it wasn't great or memorable either.

Random thoughts
- My only ship in this show was the Li Hanyi and the Scholarly Sword deity (forgot his name, sorry), I thought the vibe of headstrong fussy strong girl was well tempered by the calm, mature, coolheaded, equally strong nerd who wouldn’t and couldn’t be cowed by her as well as match her in power levels. I’d watch that drama.
- Maybe I should peek back into TBOY as I’m truly curious as to what would cause the divide that will bring about that tragic ending for SMY and SCH.
- Mu Ciling was a great standout and I wish to see more of that actor. That character could have been very cringy and animesque but instead he was interesting and I found myself enjoying the way He spoke and his quirks.
All 3 corrupt Tang Clan heads had some my favorite outfits, and the ones I’d wear if I could, looked so comfy atimes.
- Where are all the MOTHERS?! So many dead mothers!!
- I said Tajaja so many times while watching this show : )

Have a nice day!

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I really need to start reading the summary before jumping into a series. All I saw was Simon Gong in a historical drama and immediately said, “Yes!” It took me a while to get through the first 10 episodes—not because it was boring, but because there were so many details and new characters introduced that I struggled to keep up. I eventually went back to read the summary, and sure enough, it’s classic wuxia. It actually reminded me a bit of the darker tone in Bloody Romance, with its lethal elegance, shadowy atmosphere, and constant threat of assassination.

Instead of making this my priority watch, I found myself putting it on in between other shows while deciding what to watch next—and because of that, I kept losing track of the story. Maybe it’s just the mood I’m in, because I usually enjoy wuxia, especially when it centers around a loyal group of friends fighting for a common cause. At one point I considered dropping it, but with so many other dramas on my list, I didn’t want to put this one on hold and risk forgetting about it completely.
One thing I genuinely appreciate, though, is the visual style. Since the story involves assassins, the overall tone is quite dark, and the bold color palette really stands out. I really love the animation and CGI!!!

This review will be ongoing, since I’m not prioritizing this series and won’t be finishing it as quickly as the other dramas I’m currently watching.

Currently scoring at 7/10 for it beautiful color, a good plot and solid cast.

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MALE LEAD cant act. He has blank face , Smile and Scrip reading mode

I am fan of Blood of Youth drama. It was one of greatest drama ever. That said dashing youth disappointed me. I thought from Poster blood river will be as good as blood of youth. But this drama has bad Male Lead. Male lead need a charisma. They are gravity needed for drama to be success. Male lead is unfit for this drama. He has three acting mode. Blank face , Smile , Script reading. He never believe in his own words.

Its like we have robot.

What about others. Others are ok. Drama is average because when male lead cant act every one start to script read like its a job and get paid.

Fight scenes in blood of youth brought me goose bumps. It gets me excited

Here lets move on on to next scene. You cant invest on any character.

Is it bad drama ? Not really but its not clicking.

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This is def. one of the best cdramas I've watched. An absolute 100000000000/10. From the storyline to martial arts part to friendship and romance, everything were well-made. As someone who is very picky in romance and FL, this is sooo far the only series of which I've never ever feel any annoyance towards the FL or any female character in leads' side (I love how capable they were). To think that I even cried in romance part likeee omg I've become a diff. person. The martial arts was also one of the best I've seen. Muyu and Changhe duo was sooo underrated, they def. have good chemistry and them fighting side by side was one of the fave from this series.

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A little disappointed in ML’s acting.

Story is still good as rumors.
(I’ve watched it all. Here’s my edited review.)
Directing and CGI is good.
But for CGI, Dashing Youth is better in my pov.
Edited : Because in some episodes CGI is amazing but in some, CGI feels cheap.
The main point is Gong Jun’s acting. Even tho I highly anticipated for this drama because of him, his acting is off. Even cameo actor in DY could be seen as SMY but I can’t see him as Su Mu Yu. I’m his fan but I have to accept that. I hope his acting will get better in later episodes. Edited : I still couldn’t see him as SMY except in fight scenes. He is cool in action scenes. And I found out why I can’t see him as SMY till the final ep is because his way of speech is too stiff in my pov. Gong Jun can act as cold guy but not quiet guy. SMY isn’t cold. He is quiet and gentle that he was mistaken as a scholar at first sight not as a killer according to novel. Gong Jun can’t completely catch the essence of quiet gentlemanly manner in my pov. But overall, he can get a pass as he is so cool in fight scenes.
Second ML Chang Hua Sen is awesome. His acting is really good that he overshadow Gong Jun, the ML. Edited : He is so amazing! He can act! Really his aura is overwhelm 1st ML that I wish that he is 1st ML in some scenes. I’ve become his fan. It’s a pity that we can’t see his fight scenes much. His action scenes are too few.
Still it’s enjoyable to watch so far as so many action/fight scenes since the beginning of the story. I hope it will get better. Edited : It became better!
Even tho it’s still 5 eps, if you are a fan of fight scenes, watch it.
I’ll edit this later when the drama is finished.
Edited : Watch it if you love action scenes. But don’t expect any romances as it mainly focus on bromance and romance is just a little sprinkle.

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So, so boring

This is the most boring drama I've ever seen. I actually love Gong Jun and have been waiting for this to come out, but he's so wooden. The story is slow moving, boring as hell and introduces just a ridiculous amount of characters in a row like we're supposed to care about all of them. And sorry but Gong Jun was not good in this drama, at least in the first few episodes. He's wooden as hell, his expression never changes. It's probably not his fault because he was given basically nothing to work with. A very straight laced character. If you like Gong Jun just go back and watch Word of Honour again.
I was watching together with a friend and we just dropped it after 4 episodes, it was too excruciating listening to such long conversations about information we already know.

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This drama completely stole my heart. From the very first episode, it captured a sense of warmth and sincerity that’s hard to find these days. The story may seem simple on the surface, but the way it unfolds is deeply emotional and beautifully written. Every character feels real and human, with flaws, dreams, and moments of quiet growth.
What impressed me most was the emotional pacing — it never felt rushed, yet it never dragged. The chemistry among the cast was so natural that it made every interaction believable. The cinematography was breathtaking, and the soundtrack elevated the emotional impact even more.
What I truly appreciate is how the show balances lighthearted humor with serious themes about life, relationships, and self-discovery. It leaves you reflecting on your own experiences long after the credits roll.
Overall, it’s not just a drama — it’s a heartfelt journey filled with lessons, laughter, and tears. Beautifully acted, visually stunning, and emotionally genuine. I’ll remember this one for a long time.

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Amizade, Lealdade e Origem: Um Prequel Sem Falhas

É revigorante, quase terapêutico, escrever uma resenha assim. Feliz. Muito feliz. Este prequel do universo já sólido e bem arquitetado de “Blood of Youth” é, sem exagero, um acerto em cheio. Tudo funciona. O roteiro é pensado com inteligência para explicar a origem daquela facção misteriosa que, na obra original, surgia quase como um enigma e despertava curiosidade imediata. Aqui, a série entrega respostas com clareza, elegância e coesão narrativa, sem jamais parecer expositiva ou preguiçosa.

O maior trunfo, porém, está na relação entre os dois protagonistas. Amigos de personalidades radicalmente distintas, visões de mundo opostas e estilos de vida quase incompatíveis, mas que constroem uma amizade leal, íntegra e, por vezes, até insólita. Essa dinâmica é o motor emocional da obra e se desenvolve de forma orgânica, dinâmica e decisiva para o avanço da trama, sempre ancorada na ideia de bem comum e responsabilidade coletiva. Nada soa gratuito. Cada decisão tem peso dramático real.

Confesso que não conhecia o ator protagonista, Simon Gong, e fui positivamente surpreendido. A beleza evidente ajuda, claro, mas não sustenta uma série sozinha. Ele demonstra bons recursos cênicos, presença e domínio emocional, especialmente nas cenas mais exigentes, onde o drama pede mais do que pose e carisma. A química romântica com sua parceira de cena também merece destaque, funcionando de forma natural e convincente, sem excessos melodramáticos.

Faço apenas uma recomendação essencial: não pulem a cena pós-créditos. Ela encerra a história com precisão cirúrgica, fecha arcos narrativos importantes e evita qualquer sensação de ponta solta ou promessa vazia para o futuro. No fim, foi uma experiência extremamente satisfatória. Um drama redondo, seguro de si, que respeita seu universo e seu público. Não há nada a criticar. Valeu, e muito, a pena.

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