What a letdown. 2/3 of the drama was decent (although with obvious plotholes) but the last third was simply MEH.…
I agree. If the series had ended after the whole Wuxian Clan storyline and the reveal of who Zhulong was, it would easily be a 9 by my standards. But the final arc feels completely disconnected from everything that came before and is just... dull and uninteresting. I had to force myself to get through it.
I'm only a few episodes in and already completely immersed. I remember trying to watch the Korean original when it came out, but I couldn't make it past the first three or four episodes for exactly the reason the Chinese version "fixes" and makes its own: the subtlety in the actions and performances. While adult Chinese dramas tend to put a lot more emphasis on naturalistic acting, I often struggle to get past the painfully unsubtle way many Korean dramas force emotions or try to create comedic moments.
First impressions: The entire family dynamic after the birth of their daughter is incredibly suffocating. You have an overprotective wife who's never satisfied, an absent husband caught in the middle of two families with completely opposite personalities, and a marriage that's basically on life support. What impresses me most, though, is how deeply grounded everything feels in realism. From the direction and writing to the performances by Qin Hao and Ren Suxi, who are both exceptional, every aspect feels authentic. It's impossible not to relate to each character at least a little, while also finding yourself judging many of their decisions. Really looking forward to the rest.
It started falling apart around Episode 10, when the Ladykiller survived being run over. After that, it's basically a series of increasingly convenient plot contrivances designed to force the story to its conclusion. But, the first 10 episodes were very solid, not making become waste time.
What happens when a controlling woman mixes her professional and romantic relationships with an immature man, all while her entire career is thrown into question and a gifted young talent with deep abandonment issues emerges as her only real chance at success? Thankfully, she can always rely on the sound advice of her closest friend, a woman with daddy issues who's addicted to getting involved with married men. A truly flawless combination.
When a group of people make a living creating stories and fictional worlds, you'd expect them to have a better grasp of human behavior. Instead, it's through watching the everyday lives of these writers and editors that you begin to understand why they only write about imaginary worlds and mythical beings rather than contemporary stories about emotional growth and mature relationships.
In their wuxia/xianxia novels, everything is extraordinary. Altruistic heroes live by unwavering moral codes and willingly sacrifice themselves for the people they love. In reality, however, the very people who write those stories seem interested only in protecting themselves, all while hiding behind a shield called trauma, treating it as though it were a superpower capable of excusing every selfish decision they make.
I'm still in the early episodes, and the difference in storytelling quality compared to most other shows is already obvious. It's remarkably sophisticated. What makes it even more compelling is how it weaves together such a broad ensemble of characters inspired by real historical figures who were central to that era.
A blind swordsman bounty hunter fighting in the rain and snow, spitting alcohol, setting his own sword on fire, and knocking arrows out of the air? That's everything I could ever want. Absolutely badass!
Finishing Season 1 and I'm impressed by the quality of the storytelling. It tackles themes such as politics, social and economic changes, and how they shape the everyday lives of different people caught in the middle of all this upheaval.
Definitely an evolution from the first film. More action and budget for plot development, which of course remains simple but works and allows Xie Miao to shine in the action scenes, especially in the bathroom and filming room sequences.
A low-budget, average action film. It's only worth watching for the final fight scene inside the bus, which is significantly better than usual and saves the movie.
wow, It seems you have a lot of work to do in your life, if that's what you took from the series and you really…
There's no point in arguing. The guy is spouting half-truths to manipulate the issue. And the irony is that he's doing this in a comment section about this particular series. You can't just make this up, it's incredible.
1 
The entire family dynamic after the birth of their daughter is incredibly suffocating. You have an overprotective wife who's never satisfied, an absent husband caught in the middle of two families with completely opposite personalities, and a marriage that's basically on life support.
What impresses me most, though, is how deeply grounded everything feels in realism. From the direction and writing to the performances by Qin Hao and Ren Suxi, who are both exceptional, every aspect feels authentic. It's impossible not to relate to each character at least a little, while also finding yourself judging many of their decisions. Really looking forward to the rest.
Thankfully, she can always rely on the sound advice of her closest friend, a woman with daddy issues who's addicted to getting involved with married men. A truly flawless combination.
When a group of people make a living creating stories and fictional worlds, you'd expect them to have a better grasp of human behavior. Instead, it's through watching the everyday lives of these writers and editors that you begin to understand why they only write about imaginary worlds and mythical beings rather than contemporary stories about emotional growth and mature relationships.
In their wuxia/xianxia novels, everything is extraordinary. Altruistic heroes live by unwavering moral codes and willingly sacrifice themselves for the people they love. In reality, however, the very people who write those stories seem interested only in protecting themselves, all while hiding behind a shield called trauma, treating it as though it were a superpower capable of excusing every selfish decision they make.