NattyA

It’s like a teen movie, just set in ancient costumes.

In this world, there are no sports or cheerleading teams; instead, martial arts sects serve as the sports teams, which is quite fun. There’s a sweet, youthful romance building in the background, and both the male and female leads are beautiful and lovely. It’s a bit of a shame that there are so many characters it gets a little dizzying. After looking into and trying all three series in the same universe, I found that Dashing Youth is the most enjoyable. The overall tone is bright, and the storytelling is well-paced.

Spoiler alert!
The storytelling isn't very concise. Given the 40-episode length, they could have covered much more content, especially since there are still many unresolved plotlines—such as the story of Baili Dongjun and Yue Yao, who ultimately didn't end up getting married. I guess they didn't know how to wrap everything up, so they just ended it like this for now.

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The show’s storytelling and visual communication are poor.

During episode 13, I understand that a soul blending (a deep spiritual intercourse) takes place, but the visual execution is confusing. When the female lead enters the male lead's spiritual realm, she touches his forehead while he is fully clothed. However, when she comes out, he is shirtless while she remains fully dressed. After that, the male lead wakes up, touches her forehead, and they both enter the spiritual realm together. Still, it remains unclear whether any physical intimacy actually occurred because the visuals fail to convey it.

The male lead’s acting falls far short of the female lead’s. His eyes are completely dead; he fails to communicate that he is looking at her with love and gratitude for saving his life. Watching a bit further into episodes 13 to 15, I understand he is supposed to play a cool, tsundere character, but if his eyes cannot convey his inner feelings, the audience simply won't buy it.

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THis is not that kind of Lolita!. She is not a mistress; two wives in name only.

This is a review after watching 6 episodes, so there isn't much to conclude yet.

I think Xiao Hou has a rather distinct brand when it comes to strong, fierce action scenes, and that raspy, high-toned, sexy voice that whispers love songs, drifting viewers away into a daze. He is also one of the top-performing male leads when it comes to drama. The action scenes in this series haven't been featured heavily yet, but they are well-executed.

Don't assume that because he is paired with a young actress, the romance won't be moving. Viewers can be touched by the story itself without needing excessive physical contact shown on screen. There's no need to overprotect the female lead; everyone knows what is appropriate. Even Xiao Hou himself entered the industry at the age of 19–20 and must have encountered romantic scenes back then; he knows exactly what to do and where the boundaries are.

Right now, I'm eagerly anticipating the reveal of the female lead's true identity.

Xiao Hou’s comedic expressions and gestures aren't quite sharp yet—almost there, but not quite—though he absolutely nails the sweet eyes and beautiful smile.
Aimi has such beautiful eyes, and she is incredibly talented at crying scenes.
Riley Wang has such thick, long, and beautifully curled eyelashes, just FYI I can't help talking about him.

The pacing of the story is very fast. If you don't watch closely or if you miss the dialogue, you'll easily get lost—especially regarding who the female lead is and who A Mao is. I think if they showed more of the male lead's backstory, we would understand his behavior better. I must praise the casting for the child actor; the styling makes him look just like a young Xiao Hou. From what I recall of his childhood photos, he really did look like that when he was a kid.

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Having watched about 10 episodes, it feels like watching Zhan Zhao endure mortal trials

it feels like watching Zhan Zhao endure mortal trials, with a beautiful woman as his reward.

But I'm not entirely sure; Linglong might actually die at the end since she constantly puts herself in dangerous situations. Also, while watching, I feel that the bromance/friendship between Bai Yitang and Zhan Zhao looks much more beautiful than the romance between Zhan Zhao and Huo Linglong.

I really want to praise Yang Yang for dedicating himself to the training and delivering such an excellent performance in this drama. Of course, there must have been accidents and injuries; I heard he even got injured during rehearsals before filming started. His postures and movements in this show are incredibly precise, showing immense physical training. Usually, men's bodies are quite stiff and not as flexible as women's, but in this drama, he is so flexible. His forms are beautiful and perfect, just like a man practicing yoga, yet filled with power. It’s absolutely gorgeous and highly enjoyable to watch, even though some scenes are pitch black. Why does it have to be that dark?

However, I don't really understand the script. They want to defeat the villains but refuse to kill them—instead, they wait for them to recover, go gather more backups, and then come back for another beating in the next scene. What's the point? It's like playing a video game where the difficulty just keeps ramping up. They could have just used lethal force and finished some of them off to save energy. I am totally against this kind of hero trope; it’s exhausting and makes no sense.

The female lead is cute but doesn't seem very smart. She blindly believes whatever tricks Zhan Zhao plays on her. She must be very young and naive; according to the story, she doesn't seem to be over 18. As for Zhan Zhao, I’d guess he is somewhere between 26 and 29 years old."
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Edit at EP 22
Now, the main lead and heroine have taken their relationship to the next level, becoming each other's special someone. Notice how he called her "Linglong" three times; it's a clear message to the audience. Given historical and cultural norms, along with Zhan Zhao's personality, he would never directly call a woman by her first name unless she was family or a childhood friend. He used to maintain distance by calling her "Lady Huo" or playfully teasing her as "Heroine Huo." But this time, he emphasized her name because after being apart for just one night, he missed her. Seeing that she had left and then returned, his joy slipped out. She wasn't surprised and didn't mention it, quietly accepting it.

It's a classic trope in historical Chinese dramas—the audience just has to read between the lines. It's truly funny but sad for this love line.

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This show brilliantly weaves creativity into its storytelling.

Initially, I watched this because I'm a fan of Xiao Hou, and for that reason alone, it was totally worth it. He took on a new type of role, looking handsome and refreshingly different. Viewers will be constantly surprised by the plot twists—like Zhang Chulan, who is incredibly skilled but completely unaware of it and acts as if he has no talent at all. Then there's Wang Ye, whose name is a playful nod to a princely title (Wangye) because he is a wealthy young master, yet his name also carries deeper philosophical meanings. Wang Ye appears to be the most powerful character since he can control both time and space, yet he still can't do anything against Baobao.

One hilarious scene is when Wang Ye goes to warn Zhang Chulan but ends up finding him in the restroom. They stand right next to each other at the urinals, and there's even a moment where one peeks over at the other—it's so funny! This unique blend of seriousness and comedy is woven throughout the entire series. Another great example is when Wang Ye simply walks out of the arena, casually stating that he's full and therefore admits defeat. It's just that simple and easygoing.

Looking at the makeup and wardrobe, it doesn't seem like they had a huge budget, but the results are quite good. Wang Ye looks very natural here, so much so that his styling in the second season feels a bit overdone by comparison. If we view this as a series that prioritizes creativity, it is highly commendable.

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It’s surprisingly fun and well-balanced, and the lead actors are hilarious.

Xiao Ding and Zhao LooXue are actors with exceptional comedic timing and skill, whether it’s deadpan humor, situational comedy, or just subtle, witty moments. Seeing them paired up feels perfectly balanced, like a match made in heaven. Zhao Liying is brilliant as a female lead who is beautiful, sexy, and cute all at once—it’s no wonder Han Shuo fell for her. Meanwhile, Han Shuo is cool, adorable, cunning, funny, and soft-hearted. He truly lives up to being the screenwriter's pride and joy; it’s impossible not to love him.

A standout aspect of the show is how Han Shuo’s life becomes so much more meaningful as the script changes. He gets to love the right person, sacrifice himself for someone who loves him back, and chooses to infiltrate as a spy rather than waging war. In my theory, when Han Shuo faints and wakes up again, the soul of the superstar Han might have been watching from inside that body. He kept his martial arts skills but his personality changed completely—becoming less ruthless, abandoning his murder plots, and acting like a true gentleman. On the other hand, Xiao Qian has no martial arts skills, unlike when Han Shuo first met her. Since she is the screenwriter who entered the story consciously, she naturally woke up as her regular self without any fighting skills. What’s funny is how she didn't realize the plot changed because of her, which is wild because it was so obvious!

I absolutely love the ending. In my own imagination, I like to think of Mr. Bad as the sequel, where the male lead is actually Han Shuo and Qianqian's son from the book world who ended up in the modern world, while the female lead is the daughter of superstar Han and Xiao Qian. This is pure fan imagination, of course (Haha!). Ever since this show aired, the time-travel/script-entry genre exploded in popularity. What felt fresh and groundbreaking back then has now become a standard trope.

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The drama highlights the male lead's virtues much less, while Anong is more adorable.

In the book, the male lead has to go through many more hardships and prove his goodness far more than in the drama. To begin with, his family is not wealthy, and they do not live in a large house. He originally wanted to join the military but had to give up that dream to become a judge instead. He then works hard to support his younger siblings, redeems the inherited farmland for Choi, and even borrows money from others to buy a house for Chatchai to use as his bridal home. To make things more sacrificial, the woman Chatchai marries is Chanthon—the very woman the male lead secretly loves. Due to this heartbreak, combined with neglecting his own health, he falls severely ill.

While the series changes the story so that Khun Phra already loves Anong, the book depicts Anong being deeply impressed by Khun Phra's goodness. She volunteers to take care of his heart to match his virtue, which eventually touches him and makes him love her in return.

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this couple shares the same core values—such as contribution, commitment to justice, faithfulness

A Roadmap for the Impatient

During the initial phase, EP 1 - 7, not much happens yet. The story gradually unfolds to show who the female lead is, how she ended up meeting the male lead, and what her motives are. It also reveals what the male lead wants from her. Originally, the male lead took her in because he wanted to deceive society into thinking he is a libertine, preventing anyone from sending a spy to be his concubine. Meanwhile, the female lead pretends to fancy him, acting all affectionate to stay by his side. However, nothing serious has actually happened between them yet. Still, they are evenly matched in intelligence, and she is able to assist him in his revenge. The female lead is fully aware that they will have to part ways one day. The male lead, on the other hand, is completely oblivious; he genuinely believes she fancies him and is helping him out of sincerity, causing him to fall for her little by little.

In EP 13, their relationship escalates into something serious. It becomes crystal clear that she has disguised herself for a specific purpose, but the male lead has already fallen so deeply in love that he just cannot bring himself to harm her.

From this point forward, the secrets will intensify, and the plot will become increasingly gripping.

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"I love that this couple shares the same core values—such as fair resource distribution, equality before the law, commitment to justice, faithfulness in love, virtue, and their care and kindness toward friends, and family. This is truly one of my favorite dramas.

Not to mention how perfectly their characters complement each other. Huge credit goes to the male lead for his love and respect, and for accepting her capabilities—even when she outshines or defeats him as her role demands.

Ji Bozai, the male lead, is someone starved of affection. It’s obvious he has never experienced love before, so he gives it his all while being utterly terrified of it. Once that trust is broken, he is deeply hurt and constantly doubts love, making him the most pitiful character. On the other hand, the female lead seems less starved of love, perhaps because she was too focused on survival at the time. In reality, she loves him deeply too. There are scenes where they beautifully share their love, sacrifices, and mutual pain with one another."
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This drama is highly focused on romance. For their relationship to successfully move forward, Ji Bozai deserves high praise. Notice that even after being betrayed, he still tries to find answers and is always ready to trust. There are scenes where he asks multiple times (3 to 4 times) if she is sincere, if she can be trusted, and if she will deceive him again. This is typical behavior of someone who is already deeply in love and trying to make excuses for the other person; naturally, the deceiver would say they aren't lying, but he just wants to hear that reassurance. As for Ming Yi, sometimes she doesn't even get a chance to answer before being cut off. The only time she does answer, it leaves room for doubt: "Right now, I am sincere." Although Ji Bozai seems aloof, distrustful, and acts like a villain, he actually helps everyone wholeheartedly. He sacrificed his life to save the Six Realms from the Heaven-Swallowing Formation, cared for the female immortal Ruo Shui, protected the people in the Slave Realm and the Abyss, and saved others from the demonic beast army. He possesses the true quality of a ruler—sacrifice. He is a very kind-hearted person who forgives everyone easily without complexity, including his lover, his master, and his mother.

As for Ming Yi, she truly deserves to be loved completely. The moment the male lead finds out she is Ming Xian and has been poisoned, he realizes that she has used her dwindling life force to save him multiple times, which is the deepest expression of love. The scene where he puts his neck against the sword and calls her a liar proves he knows she would never hurt him and is always ready to help. Even when he makes her believe he has destroyed the medicine, she bears no resentment or anger toward him.

How could they not love each other deeply? It is absolutely impossible, given how incredibly good they are to one another.

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This show is a quirky kind of fun; it feels like a parody that cleverly subverts gender roles.

If you were to swap the genders and the setting, it would be similar to the "obsessive CEO and his secretary" trope. But with the roles reversed, it’s hilarious. The female lead is actively pursuing the male lead, determined to have him as her husband even without an official status. Meanwhile, the male lead—despite his memory loss—retains his inherent pride and skills. He feels that being a "secret husband" is beneath him; a man of his caliber deserves much more.

I love the male lead because he’s so cheeky and adorable. Even the female lead praises him for being "cunningly cute." The beauty of this story is that they share the same ideals: she wants him to be a virtuous official who helps the people, while he wants to teach her how to manage her siblings and handle corrupt officials.

The drama is relatively middle to hard at the end but easy to watch at the beginning, though the massive cast can be a bit overwhelming—it’s like they brought in an entire army of actors. The charm of the show lies in the male lead’s sharp tongue and provocative nature. The female lead actually enjoys this side of him but often has to restrain him, saying, "Don't overdo it; others don't love you the way I do." She is ruthless and sharp-witted, not even fully trusting the male lead.

Having followed Hou Minghao through many of his dramas, I’ve noticed a massive leap in his facial expressions and eye acting in this series. Usually, our Xiao Hou isn’t the best at comedy; his attempts at deadpan often came across as just stiff or blank, likely because he was overthinking it.

But in this show, he’s genuinely funny because he’s mastered those cheeky, mischievous looks. Whether it’s playing innocent, teasing others, or pulling the 'Oh, really?' face (while clearly pretending not to know), he does it all so well. His provocative, teasing expressions are spot on and really fun to watch.
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I love the scene where Rong Shanbao changes her testimony.

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Recommended for those looking for something easy-watching, heartwarming, and features a child.

I was particularly interested in the episodes featuring Youyou, the lead couple's son. I think he is so smart and really ties the story together, making it much more enjoyable. It honestly feels like without him, the plot wouldn't have progressed at all because of how the male and female leads suddenly stopped communicating. It’s quite baffling because they used to talk and express themselves so much before. But once they had a child—a situation where things should be clear—they became hesitant and kept holding back. It’s almost funny.

Looking at it from the male lead's perspective, it feels like he is hated for no good reason. I don't understand why there is so much resentment to the point of keeping his own child from knowing he is the father. It’s just too cruel. If I were him, I would feel deeply hurt and resentful. But he doesn't hold a grudge at all; he is just heartbroken about being abandoned, yet he forgives her easily because he admits himself that he can never be firm or strict with her.

Nevertheless, we can still feel and see that both of them genuinely care for one another and aren't being selfish—that’s the charming part. Another great thing about this show is the complete absence of any violence in words, thoughts, or actions. It is truly heartwarming.

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I am deeply fascinated and inspired by the Chinese people.

It comes as no surprise how China, in less than a single generation, managed to transform itself from poverty into such a massive global economy. Of course, not everything is picture-perfect, but the people always are. Both male leads in this series are so outstanding that it is impossible to take your eyes off them. I also find the current rating a bit underrated, so I am giving it a full 10/10 across the board to make up for it.

I especially love the scene where Pei Qinghua cries in the taxi. This man is strong, hardworking, disciplined, and never gives up. He has dedicated himself completely, yet had to stumble and struggle so much. When he finally made it through, he was just incredibly overjoyed. At first, he cried only a little, but then it was as if he couldn't stop and ended up crying heavily, with his senior trying to comfort him in a funny way. The reason I love this scene is that I am a fan of Xiao Hou. I adore him so much in this role where he was made to look unhandsome, scruffy, and unfashionable, yet he remains highly eye-catching anyway. This way, people will finally see his talent shine ahead of his looks.

As for Wu Lei, he blends seamlessly and becomes one with his character. I find him perfectly sly and rebellious, doing everything with a strategic plan yet guided by his heart. Xiao Chuang changes Pei Qinghua's rigid decision-making, but that doesn't mean Pei Qinghua works any less hard; he is still as diligent as ever in checking his work. If a woman were to choose a partner, she would probably choose Pei Qinghua. However, in terms of catching one's eye, Xiao Chuang appears more captivating at first sight based on personality. In reality, Xiao Chuang is also a devoted lover, it is just that I prefer someone straightforward and comfortable to be with. Sorry, Xiao Chuang, you are just not my type.

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