This review may contain spoilers
Honest opinion
Honestly, this drama had a lot of potential — in its world-building, its characters, and in the foundations of its story — but all of it was barely explored. I came in hoping it would get better, and kept watching… and watching… and waiting. But for me, it just didn’t deliver.
The biggest problem? The entire focus is on the ML and only the ML. His ambitions, his growth, his story. That’s it. And somewhere along the way, he becomes arrogant, detached, and — let’s be real — a little frustrating. One thing I usually love about Wuxia/Xianxia is how these dramas explore the journeys of all characters — their growth, pain, power, relationships — not just one person. But here, it was Xiao Yan supremacy and nothing else.
Let’s talk about Xun’er. First of all, can we just ignore the fact that she’s the ML’s first cousin and in love with him? 😬 But even if we do — their so-called “love story” had zero chemistry. Completely flat. Meanwhile, he had way better chemistry with his teacher, the poison girl, and even Medusa, who literally appeared like 3–4 times in total.
What annoyed me more was that all the women in the series just fall for him without any actual reason — it’s that classic harem setup, and I’m not a fan. Even the strong female characters were reduced to background noise. Medusa, Xun’er, Yafei, the poison girl, and even Nalan Yanran — so much potential, so little screentime.
Honestly, Nalan Yanran was the only one who seemed like a full-fledged person. She had her own motives, goals, and wasn’t constantly chasing after the ML. I wish we got more of her.
And then there’s the Medicine Elder — probably the only character I truly enjoyed watching. The Xiao Zhan cameo was nice, but let’s be real, he wasn’t even in half the series. Their friendship was okay, but even that dynamic faded under all the ML-worship.
And please — that whole “everyone just waits for Xiao Yan to save them” thing? So unrealistic, especially in a world where everyone else is also a cultivator. Why is everyone, including his seniors, so helpless without him?
And the music? Meh. Not memorable.
Final thoughts:
2/10. I finished it because I started it — but compared to the other Wuxia/Xianxia dramas I’ve loved, this one felt like a boring, uneven, and forced story that wasted the potential of its world and characters. Will I watch the donghua? Probably not anymore.
The biggest problem? The entire focus is on the ML and only the ML. His ambitions, his growth, his story. That’s it. And somewhere along the way, he becomes arrogant, detached, and — let’s be real — a little frustrating. One thing I usually love about Wuxia/Xianxia is how these dramas explore the journeys of all characters — their growth, pain, power, relationships — not just one person. But here, it was Xiao Yan supremacy and nothing else.
Let’s talk about Xun’er. First of all, can we just ignore the fact that she’s the ML’s first cousin and in love with him? 😬 But even if we do — their so-called “love story” had zero chemistry. Completely flat. Meanwhile, he had way better chemistry with his teacher, the poison girl, and even Medusa, who literally appeared like 3–4 times in total.
What annoyed me more was that all the women in the series just fall for him without any actual reason — it’s that classic harem setup, and I’m not a fan. Even the strong female characters were reduced to background noise. Medusa, Xun’er, Yafei, the poison girl, and even Nalan Yanran — so much potential, so little screentime.
Honestly, Nalan Yanran was the only one who seemed like a full-fledged person. She had her own motives, goals, and wasn’t constantly chasing after the ML. I wish we got more of her.
And then there’s the Medicine Elder — probably the only character I truly enjoyed watching. The Xiao Zhan cameo was nice, but let’s be real, he wasn’t even in half the series. Their friendship was okay, but even that dynamic faded under all the ML-worship.
And please — that whole “everyone just waits for Xiao Yan to save them” thing? So unrealistic, especially in a world where everyone else is also a cultivator. Why is everyone, including his seniors, so helpless without him?
And the music? Meh. Not memorable.
Final thoughts:
2/10. I finished it because I started it — but compared to the other Wuxia/Xianxia dramas I’ve loved, this one felt like a boring, uneven, and forced story that wasted the potential of its world and characters. Will I watch the donghua? Probably not anymore.
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